Small
heatsinks can
be rather useful when it comes to
assembling a lower-noise computer, but what about using a heatsink such as the NengTyi P326?
While rummaging through our storage room in search of
an ultra secret cooling solution we stumbled upon this heatsink from the days of
the socket 370 Celeron processor. Not one to discount a heatsink just because it may be a little
dusty, we pulled it out and got it ready for some
testing.

With C3 processors on the market, and other
applications which call for only marginal noise with cooling a heatsink such as
this could be the perfect ticket for some systems - and perhaps if modified for
very many more BGA applications.

Built on a thick copper base with aluminum fins,
the NengTyi P326 may just have some life left in it for cooling, but to find out
we're going to have to test it! So sit back and get ready to find out the answer
to the question - can the P326 still cut it?

The Fan:
Little 50mm fans don't move all that
much air, but they do spin rather quietly which is a bonus.
The P326 is equipped with a Nidec BetaSL fan which is
higher quality that the norm. The fan connects to the motherboard via
a three-pin connector, and supports RPM monitoring.

Heatsink Top:
With
the fan removed we can see how this heatsink has been constructed. The thick
aluminum fins have been punched out of sheet metal, folded, and bonded together with
small interlocking tabs. The resulting assembly has been glued to the copper base
with a thermal adhesive. There is about 4mm of clearance between the tips of
the fins and the base of the fan.

Side A:
From a
side we get a
better idea of how the heatsink is assembled. There are 24 fins in total
measuring 0.6mm thick and separated by 2mm of space. The copper fins are 30mm in height
and the base is 3mm thick copper. The spring clip attaches to just
one of the socket tabs, and requires a screwdriver to
engage.

Heatsink Base:

The base has is roughly finished
from the stamping process. The green thermal interface pad turns into a waxy substance once
heat is applied through the processor. The base is not perfectly smooth,
though it is generally flat over the area where the processor will come in contact
with the copper.